Effect of Big Calves, Thighs in absorbing lowkicks

[KillaZs]

Hello, Im curious if big leggs (fat, muscle) helps you absorbing lowkicks easier and if yes if its signitificant?
For example I remember Anderson Silva who broke shit out of his legg when he tried Weidman checked it, Silva had skinny calves, so maybe if there was more fat/muscles it would have better stability and wouldnt crush?

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Hello, Im curious if big leggs (fat, muscle) helps you absorbing lowkicks easier and if yes if its signitificant?
For example I remember Anderson Silva who broke shit out of his legg when he tried Weidman checked it, Silva had skinny calves, so maybe if there was more fat/muscles it would have better stability and wouldnt crush?

Nah it wouldn't have done anything, the same thing happened to Ray Sefo and Tyrone Spong too, and they didn't exactly have thin legs.

The reason it happened to these guys, was a mix of bad luck and a lack of shin conditioning, it was a freak accident each time, but you don't tend to see this happening to Muay Thai fighters who spend a lot of time kicking the bag and pads full power, specifically to condition their shins. Obviously these guys (who's names all begin with S for some reason) have more conditioned shins than say, a boxer or the average MMA fighter, but Silva still had to spend a lot of his training grappling, and kickboxers tend to put more focus on punching than kicking in K-1/Glory settings.

 

[KillaZs]

Nah it wouldn't have done anything, the same thing happened to Ray Sefo and Tyrone Spong too, and they didn't exactly have thin legs.

The reason it happened to these guys, was a mix of bad luck and a lack of shin conditioning, it was a freak accident each time, but you don't tend to see this happening to Muay Thai fighters who spend a lot of time kicking the bag and pads full power, specifically to condition their shins. Obviously these guys (who's names all begin with S for some reason) have more conditioned shins than say, a boxer or the average MMA fighter, but Silva still had to spend a lot of his training grappling, and kickboxers tend to put more focus on punching than kicking in K-1/Glory settings.

And does bigger leggs increase ressistance in absorbing them from opponent?

 

[AndyMaBobs]

And does bigger leggs increase ressistance in absorbing them from opponent?

I don't think it really makes much difference, thinner legs in theory should swell up less - because there's less muscle tissue to hurt

In practise though its more about your stance and footwork that will determine how much damage you take from a kick. If you stand like McGregor and get caught with a leg kick, you're in trouble because its knocked all your balance - but if you stand quite tall like Jon Jones for example, you're not going to suffer as much from them.

 

[TheMaster]

Nah it wouldn't have done anything, the same thing happened to Ray Sefo and Tyrone Spong too, and they didn't exactly have thin legs.

The reason it happened to these guys, was a mix of bad luck and a lack of shin conditioning, it was a freak accident each time, but you don't tend to see this happening to Muay Thai fighters who spend a lot of time kicking the bag and pads full power, specifically to condition their shins. Obviously these guys (who's names all begin with S for some reason) have more conditioned shins than say, a boxer or the average MMA fighter, but Silva still had to spend a lot of his training grappling, and kickboxers tend to put more focus on punching than kicking in K-1/Glory settings.

No amount of shin conditioning will be able to prevent the possibility of that type of injury.

I don't use the Thai round kick but I do train the 'knee check' defence to it using the very solid upper part of the shin bone near the knee to damage the incoming leg and deter more.
The lower shin is not designed to make that kind of impact to a solid area like that.

I have heard that it is considered unsporting in Thailand which may be since you don't want to injure people if they are actively competing as a profession.

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/12...ick-check-break-shin-knee-spike-mma-technique

 

[DoctorTaco]

Hello, Im curious if big leggs (fat, muscle) helps you absorbing lowkicks easier and if yes if its signitificant?
For example I remember Anderson Silva who broke shit out of his legg when he tried Weidman checked it, Silva had skinny calves, so maybe if there was more fat/muscles it would have better stability and wouldnt crush?

id bet the house that Silva had a small, minute spiral fracture going into that fight. The check from Weidman just sealed the deal on his damaged bone

 

[AndyMaBobs]

No amount of shin conditioning will be able to prevent the possibility of that type of injury.

I don't use the Thai round kick but I do train the 'knee check' defence to it using the very solid upper part of the shin bone near the knee to damage the incoming leg and deter more.
The lower shin is not designed to make that kind of impact to a solid area like that.

I have heard that it is considered unsporting in Thailand which may be since you don't want to injure people if they are actively competing as a profession.

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/12...ick-check-break-shin-knee-spike-mma-technique

As the article says, the hard check is a staple in Thailand, and not considered dirty or unsporting. This is more a meme among westerners than it is fact. Every Thai I've trained with has got me to do the hard check from the get go.

Like I said before, it doesn't tend to happen to Thai fighters because of superior shin conditioning. It will have certainly happened at some points, after all there are hundreds of fights happening in Thailand each month - but shin conditioning will lower the chances of it happening.

 

[Woldog]

Big calves lead to big steaks.

 

[shincheckin]

nurse here, spoke with a Dr about this. Large calf muscles will help reduce the chances of a shin break, but not prevent it. when guys snap their shin, its usually when they hit with that lower thinnest weakest part, against the upper thicker shin knee of someone else. Its similar to kicking a baseball bat in half at the weak joint. But in this case, your attacking with the weak joint rather than the thick end. hit a baseball with the tip of the bat it goes flying. hit it with the weak joint it snaps in half. Full power leg kicks can be dangerous to throw.

 

[Zanderlini]

I think a lot of broken legs in kickboxing come from prolonged use of anti-estrogens while on and after a steroid cycle. These compounds pretty much reduce your estrogen to 0. Estrogen is very important in bone density. If you're going to juice do so in dosages that will not require a prolonged use of anti-estrogens.

 

[JohnPJones]

Hello, Im curious if big leggs (fat, muscle) helps you absorbing lowkicks easier and if yes if its signitificant?
For example I remember Anderson Silva who broke shit out of his legg when he tried Weidman checked it, Silva had skinny calves, so maybe if there was more fat/muscles it would have better stability and wouldnt crush?

Fat or muscle behind a bone won't stop a break if the impact is on the front of the bone

 

[Mark6pro]

Bigger will mean more material. Muscles, tendons, etc. You roll a large marble and a small one at each other and the small one will go off in the other direction after they hit. Same happens with car crashes.

So my answer would be, in theory, "maybe?" No question your bone whacking something can definitely break it. Especially the weak spot. Especially if you have lower bone density. Especially if there are pre existing injuries. Especially if the thing you are kicking is harder and stronger than the thing you are kicking with. Especially if you do it wrong. Lots of factors going on there.

My question to you is, why are you asking? Are you going to be fighting a dude with big legs in the near future? Or are you a dude with big legs and are looking to see if that strategy will work for you? (And maybe you're just curious about the Silva incident and in that case I'll be quiet now).

 

[RemyR]

I gonna disagree with the common sentiment here and say that more mass does help in absorbing the impact. That’s one reason why calf kicks are proving to be more crippling than traditional leg kicks in the same amount of blows. It’s less protected.

That being said, you leg or calf kick anyone enough and they will fall. I’m sure you all still have taken some wicked kicks with insteps on, more mass is like even less protection than that.

 

[Deleted member 580830]

And does bigger leggs increase ressistance in absorbing them from opponent?

Muscle in some area will protect the bones and the tendons. It will help but bigger legs mean slower movement. Everything have a price unfortunately.

 

[KillaZs]

Muscle in some area will protect the bones and the tendons. It will help but bigger legs mean slower movement. Everything have a price unfortunately.

What about fat?

 

[Deleted member 580830]

What about fat?

There is not an elite fighter who was overweight in his leg in the whole history of the sport. Balance is key.

 

[RightToBareKnuckles]

Nah it wouldn't have done anything, the same thing happened to Ray Sefo and Tyrone Spong too, and they didn't exactly have thin legs.

The reason it happened to these guys, was a mix of bad luck and a lack of shin conditioning, it was a freak accident each time, but you don't tend to see this happening to Muay Thai fighters who spend a lot of time kicking the bag and pads full power, specifically to condition their shins. Obviously these guys (who's names all begin with S for some reason) have more conditioned shins than say, a boxer or the average MMA fighter, but Silva still had to spend a lot of his training grappling, and kickboxers tend to put more focus on punching than kicking in K-1/Glory settings.

always cool to see big guys like that with the flexibility to throw head kicks. one more for fun:

 

[Snubnoze707]

I think a lot of broken legs in kickboxing come from prolonged use of anti-estrogens while on and after a steroid cycle. These compounds pretty much reduce your estrogen to 0. Estrogen is very important in bone density. If you're going to juice do so in dosages that will not require a prolonged use of anti-estrogens.

I highly doubt that. The breaks are incredibly rare to begin with, and plenty of juiced up fighters in the past have never had issues. I know people always want a perfect explanation, but really these are freak accidents.

Also absorbing a kick that you receive is a completely different thing than absorbing a check to a kick you give. You are taking the kick on muscle, versus taking a check directly on bone.

 

[Zanderlini]

I highly doubt that. The breaks are incredibly rare to begin with, and plenty of juiced up fighters in the past have never had issues. I know people always want a perfect explanation, but really these are freak accidents.

Also absorbing a kick that you receive is a completely different thing than absorbing a check to a kick you give. You are taking the kick on muscle, versus taking a check directly on bone.

Probably however it's something to consider. Going back 10years it was pretty common protocol taking anti-estrogens while on cycle. Somewhere along the line it became common knowledge that it can make you have a bone density of a 80year old woman if you do it long enough. These days almost no one knowledgeable takes anti estrogens during the cycle unless their estrogen is obviously out of wack and they aren't being tested.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Probably however it's something to consider. Going back 10years it was pretty common protocol taking anti-estrogens while on cycle. Somewhere along the line it became common knowledge that it can make you have a bone density of a 80year old woman if you do it long enough. These days almost no one knowledgeable takes anti estrogens during the cycle unless their estrogen is obviously out of wack and they aren't being tested.

I doubt Kickboxers are taking them then, as the sport is bone on bone contact non stop and there isn't an issue with breaks.